Zuppa Toscana

 This zuppa Toscana translates as a Tuscan soup; it's a hearty winter warmer and great for a weekend lunch. I found a recipe on Food.com; this is apparently it's a version of an Olive Garden recipe though I've still not managed to eat at that restaurant chain when I've been in America. I adapted the recipe to make it lower in fat, by using fat-free natural yogurt instead of double cream, and I used chicken stock made from a stock cube melt rather than a can of chicken broth. I also missed out the kale and the bacon as I didn't have any! This is the sort of thing you can knock up from leftovers and store cupboard ingredients provided you have some sausages in the freezer (you could also use leftover cooked sausage).

To serve two, you need:

4 Italian sausages - I used a Sicilian sausage from Sainsbury's

2 large potatoes, thickly sliced

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 chicken stock cube in about a pint of water

2 heaped tbsp fat free natural yogurt

Cut the sausages into chunks and brown in some oil or Fry Light in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Then add the potatoes and the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has reduced.

Finally remove the pan from the heat and stir in the yogurt.

Serve with bread - I made this za'atar bread, also for Alphabakes!

I am hosting Alphabakes this month; you have until the 25th to send your z recipes to alphabakes@gmail.com. Check out which letter we are baking with next month on my co-host Ros's blog, The More Than Occasional Baker.